Video - DNA mutations

A DNA mutation is a permanent alteration in the DNA sequence. Mutations can be caused by environmental factors such as UV light and chemical exposure or inherited from a parent. These changes can occur in any base pairs that make up the human genome. DNA mutations can be on a small scale or a large one.

Small-scale mutations include substitutions that occur when a nucleotide is swapped for a different one; and insertions or deletions, which occur when a new nucleotide is inserted or deleted in a DNA sequence. Large-scale mutations involve abnormalities in chromosome number or structure, such as aneuploidy, which refers to one or more extra chromosomes or fewer. There are also Structural abnormalities, which involve a translocation, duplication, or a deletion of a big chunk of a chromosome.